TUESDAY’S GAME

As coach Chris Mercado predicted, the Southeast Regional champions are becoming a force at the Little League World Series now that the hitting has caught up with the team’s pitching and defense.

Zane Denton hit a second-inning grand slam, and Knox Preston ended the game on the mercy rule with a no-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning to clinch a 10-0 victory over Mid-Atlantic Regional champion Newark, Del., on Monday at Lamade Stadium.

“It’s fun when we start hitting,” Mercado said.

Half the field has been eliminated, but South Nashville is still standing despite a loss in the first U.S. bracket game Thursday.

The fun started midway through the team’s first elimination game Saturday when South Nashville pulled away from a scoreless tie to beat Corpus Christi (Tex.) Universal, 10-2.

After managing just two runs in the first nine innings in Williamsport, South Nashville has piled up 20 runs in six-plus innings.

“It takes awhile for them to get relaxed,” Mercado said of his team, which has lost the opener of all four tournaments. “Once they get relaxed, we’re going to have some fun and play the game they normally play.”

Only unbeatens Chula Vista, Calif., and Tijuana, Mexico, are putting up better numbers in average runs scored and allowed per game as well as average margin of victory.

“Both those teams are strong; real strong,” Mercado said, “but we’ll worry about them when we get to them.”

That is becoming a more likely possibility for South Nashville, which will try to move a step closer at 7 p.m. today against Sammamish, Wash., a 6-5 winner over Urbandale, Iowa, on Monday.

Even though Monday’s game ended before an out was recorded in the bottom of the fourth, South Nashville managed 11 hits, including three doubles, a triple and two home runs.

The hits came from batters in seven of the nine spots in the order. The other spots produced a sacrifice fly and a hit batsman that led to a run scored.

Robert Hassell got the scoring started in the bottom of the second. He drove in the first run and scored the second with a triple down the first-base line. He added a double and the only run scored in the third inning.

South Nashville loaded the bases with two outs in the second for Denton, who lined a 3-1 pitch to the base of the hill beyond the center-field fence.

“It felt really great,” Denton said. “I got a good pitch.”

Denton said the team has been unconcerned with facing games that could end their championship dreams. South Nashville improved to 14-0 in games in which losses would have ended the season.

“We’ve been in this position four times,” Denton said.

Newark took the opposite route, winning its opener, then falling out of the tournament with consecutive 10-run losses.

“They’ve enjoyed every minute of the tournament and so have I,” Newark coach John Ludman said of his team.

Coming off Sunday’s loss to Chula Vista, Newark was unable to keep up with a suddenly sizzling South Nashville lineup.

“That’s a very good team,” Ludman said. “They hit the ball up and down the lineup.”

Denton and Trae McLemore helped end the game with consecutive hustling doubles on hard grounders just out of the reach of infielders.

Preston followed with the clincher.

“That was perfect,” Mercado said. “We didn’t have to waste any more pitching.”